Pages

Light pumpkin pancakes / Moliūginiai blynai

Today is a Fat Tuesday or Pancake day when according to traditions Lithuanians bake piles of pancakes with a lot of different filling. In other words, the fatter they are the better. And you are supposed to eat at least seven times. On this day children dress up, put on handmade masks and go to neighbors' homes and ask for pancakes or any kind of candies. People gather in the center of the town or village to sing traditional songs and watch the burning of Morė. It is a handmade doll stuffed with dried hay and dressed in old clothes. It symbolizes fertility which is burned in order to be reborn again. Together with the burning of Morė all bad thoughts and winter is burned and the following seven weeks until Easter is a period of refreshening your thoughts and mind and having a new start. This festival has pagan roots, though after baptism if was connected with Christianity. Still it is one of the merriest festivities of the year when everyone can make a lot of noise, eat much and no one complains!

Pumpkin pancakes are not traditional but are becoming more and more popular and the pumpkin gives such a beautiful color. You end up with lovely soft cookies rather than pancakes.

Pumpkin Pancakes

( serves 4)

1 cup of pumpkin puree

1 large egg

1 1/2 cup of flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 tbsp of sugar

3 tbsp olive oil

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 cup of milk

olive oil for frying

What we have to do:

In a bowl mix the pumpkin puree, egg, olive oil. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon. Mix it to combine. The batter will be very thick so add some milk. Stir to combine.

Preheat a pan with a little of olive oil and shape pancakes with a tablespoon. Fry on each side until golden brown and cooked through, for about 4-5 minutes depending on the size.